1Tehdy přišli za Saulem do Gibeje Zífejci se slovy: David se skrývá na kopci Chakíla směrem k Ješímónu. 2Saul vstal a sestoupil do pustiny Zífu — spolu s ním tři tisíce mužů vybraných z Izraele — aby hledal Davida v pustině Zífu. 3Saul se utábořil na kopci Chakíla u cesty směrem k Ješímónu. David pobýval v pustině. Když zjistil, že Saul za ním přišel do pustiny, 4poslal David zvědy, aby se dozvěděl, že Saul opravdu přitáhl. 5Potom David vstal a šel na místo, kde se utábořil Saul. David zjistil místo, kde spal Saul i Abnér, syn Nérův, velitel armády. Saul spal v ležení a lid tábořil kolem něj. 6David promluvil a zeptal se Chetejce Achímeleka a Abíšaje, syna Serújina, bratra Jóabova: Kdo se mnou sestoupí k Saulovi do tábora? Abíšaj řekl: Já s tebou sestoupím. 7David s Abíšajem přišel v noci k lidu a hle, Saul ležel a spal v ležení a jeho kopí bylo zabodnuté v zemi u hlavy. Abnér a lid ležel kolem něj. 8Abíšaj řekl Davidovi: Bůh dnes vydal tvého nepřítele do tvé ruky. Dovol, ať ho teď jednou ranou přibodnu kopím k zemi, druhou nebudu potřebovat. 9David řekl Abíšajovi: Nezabíjej ho! Vždyť kdo může vztáhnout ruku na Hospodinova pomazaného a zůstat bez trestu? 10David řekl: Jakože živ je Hospodin, jistě jej postihne Hospodin nebo přijde jeho den a zemře nebo vyjde do boje a bude smeten. 11Ať je to ode mě vzdáleno kvůli Hospodinu, abych vztáhl ruku na Hospodinova pomazaného. Teď vezmi kopí, které je u jeho hlavy, a džbánek na vodu a pojďme. 12Nato vzal David kopí a džbánek na vodu od Saulovy hlavy a odešli. Nikdo je neviděl, nikdo se to nedozvěděl, nikdo se neprobudil, protože všichni spali, neboť na ně padl hluboký spánek od Hospodina. 13Pak David přešel na protilehlou stranu a postavil se vpovzdálí na vrcholku hory, takže mezi nimi byla velká vzdálenost. 14David zavolal na lid a na Abnéra, syna Nérova: Odpověz, Abnére! Abnér odpověděl: Kdo jsi, že pokřikuješ na krále? 15David řekl Abnérovi: Jsi přece muž a nikdo není v Izraeli jako ty. Proč jsi nestřežil svého pána a krále? Někdo z lidu přišel, aby zabil krále, tvého pána. 16To není dobré, co jsi učinil. Jakože je živ Hospodin, jste syny smrti, protože jste nestřežili svého pána, Hospodinova pomazaného. Podívej se teď, kde je královo kopí a džbánek na vodu, které byly u jeho hlavy. 17Když rozpoznal Saul Davidův hlas, řekl: Je to tvůj hlas, můj synu Davide? David odpověděl: Je to můj hlas, můj pane a králi. 18Dále řekl: Proč můj pán pronásleduje svého otroka? Co jsem udělal? Jaké zlo je při mně? 19Nyní ať vyslechne můj pán a král slova svého otroka: Jestliže tě proti mně podněcuje Hospodin, ať přijme přídavnou oběť. Jestliže však lidé, ať jsou prokletí před Hospodinem, neboť mě dnes vyhnali, abych neměl podíl na Hospodinově dědictví, se slovy: Jdi sloužit jiným bohům. 20A nyní ať nepadne má krev na zem pryč z Hospodinovy přítomnosti. Vždyť izraelský král vytáhl, aby hledal jednu blechu, jako se honí koroptev v horách. 21Nato Saul řekl: Zhřešil jsem. Vrať se, můj synu Davide. Neudělám ti již nic zlého, za to, že sis dnes vážil mého života. Ano, jednal jsem bláznivě a převelice jsem zbloudil. 22David odpověděl: Zde je královo kopí. Ať přijde někdo ze služebníků a vezme si ho. 23Ať Hospodin odplatí každému za jeho spravedlnost a věrnost. Když tě dnes Hospodin vydal do mé ruky, nechtěl jsem vztáhnout ruku na Hospodinova pomazaného. 24Zrovna tak jako jsem si dnes cenil tvého života, tak ať si cení Hospodin mého života a vysvobodí mě ze všeho soužení. 25Saul řekl Davidovi: Požehnaný jsi, můj synu Davide. Jistě to vykonáš a opravdu to dokážeš. David pak šel svou cestou a Saul se vrátil na své místo.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 SAUL COMES TO THE HILL OF HACHILAH AGAINST DAVID. (
1Sam 26:1-4)
the Ziphites came unto Saul to Gibeah--This people seem to have thought it impossible for David to escape, and therefore recommended themselves to Saul, by giving him secret information (see on
1Sam 23:19). The knowledge of their treachery makes it appear strange that David should return to his former haunt in their neighborhood; but, perhaps he did it to be near Abigail's possessions, and under the impression that Saul had become mollified. But the king had relapsed into his old enmity. Though Gibeah, as its name imports, stood on an elevated position, and the desert of Ziph, which was in the hilly region of Judea, may have been higher than Gibeah, it was still necessary to descend in leaving the latter place; thence Saul (
1Sam 26:2) "went down to the wilderness of Ziph."
4 David . . . sent out spies . . . and David arose, and came to the place where Saul had pitched--Having obtained certain information of the locality, he seems, accompanied by his nephew (
1Sam 26:6), to have hid himself, perhaps disguised, in a neighboring wood, or hill, on the skirts of the royal camp towards night, and waited to approach it under covert of the darkness.
5 DAVID STAYS ABISHAI FROM KILLING SAUL, BUT TAKES HIS SPEAR AND CRUSE. (1Sa. 26:5-25)
Saul lay in the trench, and the people pitched round about him--Among the nomad people of the East, the encampments are usually made in a circular form. The circumference is lined by the baggage and the men, while the chief's station is in the center, whether he occupy a tent or not. His spear, stuck in the ground, indicates his position. Similar was the disposition of Saul's camp--in this hasty expedition he seems to have carried no tent, but to have slept on the ground. The whole troop was sunk in sleep around him.
8 Then said Abishai to David, God hath delivered thine enemy into thine hand--This midnight stratagem shows the activity and heroic enterprise of David's mind, and it was in unison with the style of warfare in ancient times.
let me smite him . . . even to the earth at once--The ferocious vehemence of the speaker is sufficiently apparent from his language, but David's magnanimity soared far above the notions of his followers. Though Saul's cruelty and perfidy and general want of right principle had sunk him to a low pitch of degradation, yet that was no reason for David's imitating him in doing wrong. Besides, he was the sovereign; David was a subject. Though God had rejected him from the kingdom, it was in every way the best and most dutiful course, instead of precipitating his fall by imbruing their hands in his blood and thereby contracting the guilt of a great crime, to wait the awards of that retributive providence which sooner or later would take him off by some sudden and mortal blow. He who, with impetuous haste was going to exterminate Nabal, meekly spared Saul. But Nabal refused to give a tribute to which justice and gratitude, no less than custom, entitled David. Saul was under the judicial infatuation of heaven. Thus David withheld the hand of Abishai; but, at the same time, he directed him to carry off some things which would show where they had been, and what they had done. Thus he obtained the best of victories over him, by heaping coals of fire on his head.
11 the spear that is at his bolster, and the cruse of water--The Oriental spear had, and still has, a spike at the lower extremity, intended for the purpose of sticking the spear into the ground when the warrior is at rest. This common custom of Arab sheiks was also the practice of the Hebrew chiefs.
at his bolster--literally, "at his head"; perhaps, Saul as a sovereign had the distinguished luxury of a bolster carried for him. A "cruse of water" is usually, in warm climates, kept near a person's couch, as a drink in the night time is found very refreshing. Saul's cruse would probably be of superior materials, or more richly ornamented than common ones, and therefore by its size or form be easily distinguished.
13 Then David . . . stood on the top of an hill afar off . . . and cried to the people--(See on
Judg 9:7). The extraordinary purity and elasticity of the air in Palestine enable words to be distinctly heard that are addressed by a speaker from the top of one hill to people on that of another, from which it is separated by a deep intervening ravine. Hostile parties can thus speak to each other, while completely beyond the reach of each other's attack. It results from the peculiar features of the country in many of the mountain districts.
15 David said to Abner, Art not thou a valiant man: . . . wherefore then hast thou not kept thy lord the king?--The circumstance of David having penetrated to the center of the encampment, through the circular rows of the sleeping soldiers, constituted the point of this sarcastic taunt. This new evidence of David's moderation and magnanimous forbearance, together with his earnest and kindly expostulation, softened the obduracy of Saul's heart.
19 If the Lord have stirred thee up against me--By the evil spirit He had sent, or by any spiritual offenses by which we have mutually displeased Him.
let him accept an offering--that is, let us conjointly offer a sacrifice for appeasing His wrath against us.
if they be the children of men--The prudence, meekness, and address of David in ascribing the king's enmity to the instigations of some malicious traducers, and not to the jealousy of Saul himself, is worthy of notice.
saying, Go, serve other gods--This was the drift of their conduct. By driving him from the land and ordinances of the true worship, into foreign and heathen countries, they were exposing him to all the seductions of idolatry.
20 as when one doth hunt a partridge--People in the East, in hunting the partridge and other game birds, pursue them, till observing them becoming languid and fatigued after they have been put up two or three times, they rush upon the birds stealthily and knock them down with bludgeons [SHAW, Travels]. It was exactly in this manner that Saul was pursuing David. He drove him from time to time from his hiding-place, hoping to render him weary of his life, or obtain an opportunity of accomplishing his destruction.
25 So David went on his way--Notwithstanding this sudden relenting of Saul, David placed no confidence in his professions or promises, but wisely kept at a distance and awaited the course of Providence.